Happened in a Blink
by rewob17
Summary: Whump and bromance, and nothing but whump and bromance for Danny and Steve.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or its characters. No copy write infringement is intended.

Dedication: This story is for my DWOCD ohana. I hope this whump filled story helps everyone feel better from whatever ails you or the ones you love.

Thanks: As always, huge thanks to Fifilla for helping me through this story. Thanks for the ideas, discussion and most of all for the nagging that kept me writing even when I didn't feel like it.

A/N: This story is completely written so I hope to update daily (real life permitting!). Thank you in advance to all who read.

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In some states of the Union it is said that there are two seasons: winter and construction season. Hawaii is not of those states as the tropical climate lends itself to construction all year long. Dan Stevens, formerly of International Falls, Minnesota, chuckled as he thought of the winter his friends were having while he was driving his Mack truck full of construction debris on this fine, January morning. Sure, there were clouds moving in, but that just meant rain, not snow, here.

Dan whistled happily as raindrops started to splash on the windshield. A gust of wind tugged the pup trailer attached to his truck, but the experienced truck driver barely noticed as he automatically made the slight correction necessary to keep his truck in his own lane. The whistling stopped suddenly as he rounded a corner and had to slam on his brakes and wrench the wheel to the side to avoid the car stopped on the side of the road with two people standing next to it taking a picture of the sudden rainbow. He gritted his teeth as he barely made it past the stopped car and was about to sigh in relief when he felt the truck fishtail on the slick road, pup trailer swinging wildly behind. He knew he was in trouble on the winding road without much room to maneuver and bring the big Mack under control. His heavy load started to take its toll and Dan just knew that the only outcome of this situation was going to be his truck on its side. He wrestled with the steering wheel and thanked his Maker that the road was clear. And then he saw the big, blue pickup truck come around the next corner and right into his path.

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Steve glanced over at his friend and wondered why Danny Williams was smiling. He rarely smiled, "What are you so happy about?"

Danny looked over, puzzled, "Happy? Who says I'm happy? I'm with you, aren't I?"

Steve grinned at the statement which bore no heat despite the words. Sarcasm was a sure sign that he was happy. Or upset. Or worried. Or just about anything, Steve realized. But this level of sarcasm spoke of happiness. "Yes, and I thought I'd have an argument from you about taking you sightseeing on our day off. An extra day off thanks to your benevolent dictator."

Danny snorted, "The extra day off, Benevolent Dictator, is more because Chin and Kono are on the mainland representing us at that Homeland Security conference and Catherine is out on a battleship doing Reserve time so you just didn't want to be cooped up in the office all day... So I'm happy. What of it? Why does it bother you so much when I'm happy?"

"It doesn't bother me," Steve returned the shrug and continued to stare at his partner, in between glances back to the nearly empty road as he drove. "I'm just wondering what has you so happy already this morning. Did you have a date with Amber last night?"

"Geez, McGarrett," Danny sighed. "Do you think that women are the only thing that make me happy?"

"Well..." Steve thought a moment, "yeah."

Danny rolled his eyes, "You are so juvenile. No, I did not have a date with Amber last night. I had a phone call this morning from..."

"Amber," Steve nodded in understanding.

"My nephew," Danny glared at him as he finished his sentence.

"Oh," Steve sounded slightly contrite. "As in your nephew in New Jersey, E-Train?"

Danny rolled his eyes, "Please don't call him that. He's finally doing something with his life so don't encourage him to go back to acting like a thug."

"He's not here, Danny," Steve pointed out. "I'm not encouraging him."

"Still," Danny waved his hand. "He was calling to tell me that he finished his first semester of college and thought his grades would be decent. He's really getting into the whole forensic science thing. I think I owe Fong a steak dinner. Or maybe a house."

"That's great," Steve agreed, glancing in the rear view mirror and taking note of the white Ford F150 with extended cab that was quickly closing the gap behind him. He shook his head as he wondered why the driver was in such a hurry and hoping he'd slow down before the curves in the road he knew were coming in a mile.

"What?" Danny glanced over his shoulder, wondering what had captured his partner's attention. "Something wrong?"

"No," Steve returned his gaze to the road in front of them and shrugged. "That truck behind us just seems to be going a little fast considering he's pulling a flatbed behind him. He better slow it down before we hit the curves up here."

Both Danny and Steve continued to sneak peeks back at the truck following them, but the truck seemed to have decided that he had no need to get any closer. As Steve rounded the second curve he glanced back but his eyes snapped forward again when he heard Danny's sudden intake of breath. He didn't even have time to say the curse word that sprang to mind as he slammed on the brakes and hoped for the best.

The Silverado never came to a complete stop even with Steve practically putting the brake through the floor. Steve had a fleeting thought about defensive driving as he felt the truck graze the front of the big Mack as it tipped over. The Mack's front end ripped off the Silverado's back bumper and spun the pickup truck while changing its course of direction. The truck's occupants saw nothing more as the airbags deployed and could do nothing but hang on as their seat belts tightened. They did not feel the second collision as the white Ford that had been following them came around the corner and had no chance to avoid the growing accident. The large, blue Silverado was barely discernable in the wreckage when the dust finally settled several minutes later.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you so much for all the wonderful reviews, favorites and follows! You guys are awesome!

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The first officer responding to a 911 report of a vehicle accident upon arriving on scene called for more units as well as HFD and paramedics. The 911 call had not mentioned that a large truck was involved nor the fact that construction debris, including what looked to be roofing nails and other sharp objects, littered the roadway for several hundred feet around the crash site.

The dazed truck driver hoisted himself out of his ruined cab and looked around at the destruction. Dan Stevens ran a hand over his face, wincing when his hand found several small gashes. He heard a shout and looked around to find a police officer yelling at him to stay put if possible. Dan's head was buzzing so he didn't hear everything, but he thought he heard something about the fire department needing to clear a path to get him out. He sat wearily on the broken out side window with his feet dangling inside the Mack's cab while his head pounded and he tried to remember what happened.

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Danny opened his eyes and took a moment to get his bearings. He didn't think he'd lost consciousness, but he really wasn't sure. He remembered them rounding the corner to come face to face with the Mack truck. As a matter of fact, all he'd seen was the big MACK on the grill of the truck. He wasn't sure how Steve had managed to not hit the truck head on, and obviously they hadn't avoided the collision altogether, but he had expected it to be so much worse. Then he tried to move and realized it was much worse.

"Steve," Danny croaked as pain flared all over his body but mostly in his right shoulder. He carefully turned his head to the left to look at his partner. The interior of the cab was littered with broken concrete blocks and the shattered remains of the windshield among other things. Danny gently reached out with his left hand to carefully touch Steve's upper arm. He squeezed and tried to rouse him again, "Steve? C'mon, buddy, now's not a good time to take a nap."

It took a few moments to respond but eventually Danny was rewarded by a groan from Steve who eventually opened his eyes and looked blearily around, "What happened?"

Danny squeezed Steve's arm again and sighed, relieved he was awake, "What do you remember?"

Steve continued to blink and wearily reached a hand up to swipe at his forehead; his hand came away bloodied. He looked around in confusion and then it all came back to him, "The truck!"

"Yeah," Danny winced and pulled his left arm back to rest it in his lap. "How do you feel? And don't say fine, Sleeping Beauty, you lost consciousness so you're not fine. What's the damage?"

"Head hurts," Steve noted and mentally took inventory of the rest of his body to focus on what else might be wrong. "Neck, too. I pretty much hurt all over so it's hard to tell. How about you?"

"I'm just hanging out," Danny answered calmly. "We seem to have broken concrete blocks all over the inside of the cab here along with glass from the shattered windshield. That's a pretty nasty gash you have over your right eye, you know."

At the mention of the gash, Steve again reached up and wiped blood off his forehead. He still hadn't turned to look at Danny, not wanting to move his head too much. He noticed that he was right about the concrete blocks and broken glass littering the inside of his truck. He also spotted some broken wood; he assumed they used to be 2x4's judging by the size. It took Steve a moment to realize that Danny hadn't actually answered his question and sounded a little too calm and collected for their circumstances. He turned to look at his partner, wincing and seeing spots as the pain in his neck flared and blossomed. When his vision cleared, he looked at his partner and noted he also had cuts on his face and arms from the flying glass but something else caught his eye, and all he could say was, "What is that?"

Danny gritted his teeth, "I was kinda hoping you could tell me. And tell me how bad it is."

Steve winced as he tried to move. The locked seat belt held him in place as designed and though he fumbled around to find the release, there was too much debris in the way and he was forced to give up. He strained his head as best he could, feeling his neck muscles spasm sending a shudder through him. The shudder set off new pain especially on his right side where he was pretty sure he had some broken ribs.

"Well?" Danny asked, started to sound a little impatient.

"It doesn't look good, buddy," Steve told him straight up. "It looks like a fishing spear."

"A fishing spear?" Danny was incredulous. "Unbelievable. I just knew that this pineapple infested hellhole would kill me one day. Why on earth would a truck full of construction debris have a fishing spear in it? A fishing spear that is now pinning me to this seat, I might add!" What Danny had noticed upon first becoming aware of his surroundings again had been a pressure in his right shoulder. Thankfully he hadn't moved much before realizing that he was pinned to the seat and unable to move.

Steve didn't have an answer as he studied his partner's predicament as best he could. He shook his head again, "Just don't move, okay?"

"Trust me I'm not moving." His eyes roved around the interior of Steve's truck before once again looking at what should have been the windshield and was now filled with enough debris that they could only see the tiniest of slivers of sky above. "Tell me you can get us out of here."

"Sorry, Danno," Steve sounded more frustrated than Danny had ever heard. "I don't think I can. But if our phones survived all of this maybe we can call Chin and make sure help hurries up."

"My phone is in my right pocket," Danny pointed out. "I'd rather not move my right arm at the moment if it's all the same to you."

"No, don't move your arm. Stay as still as you can to minimize blood loss. Can you tell how much it's bleeding?"

Danny grimaced, "I don't think it's bad at the moment, but I can't really tell."

"Okay," Steve nodded as he patted his leg and found his cell phone. He pulled it out triumphantly only to deflate as he looked at the cracked and broken screen. He tossed it onto the battered dashboard in disgust.

As the cell phone hit the dash, Danny gasped and tried not to squirm. "Please don't do that again."

"Do what again?" Steve asked him, confused. "The phone's broken so I just threw it up on the dash."

"Don't touch the dash, okay?" Danny all but pleaded. He raised his left arm to carefully point at a rather large and very pointed broken piece of timber which may have once been a telephone or power pole. "That slid this way when jostled. I'd just as soon it stayed put since I can't get out of its way."

Steve followed Danny's pointing finger and gulped, the deadly piece of debris had stopped a mere foot from Danny and judging by the angle, if it were to slide forward the sharpened end would come to rest at the base of Danny's throat.


	3. Chapter 3

Officer Robertson hated traffic accident scenes. He especially hated them when there was a fatality involved. As they had waited for HFD to arrive, he had carefully made his way through the debris to the remains of the white pickup truck. Once there, he had discovered that the truck had one occupant who was dead. He sadly made his way back to the MACK truck to keep its driver in place. The driver kept mumbling about a truck and couldn't stop and then he'd try to get down and Robertson would have to remind him to stay put for his own safety.

After what seemed an eternity of waiting, Robertson could hear the wail of the fire engines' siren. He watched as the firemen quickly set up more barriers behind his cruiser and their trucks to keep the growing swell of onlookers at bay. Finally the firemen were able to assist the two paramedics in getting the truck driver down and over to the ambulance. All Robertson was able to get out of him was his name: Dan Stevens. Robertson was amused by the fact that his name was a combination of the names of the two leaders of Five-0. Robertson sighed as he thought of Five-0 - _they_ didn't have to work traffic scenes.

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Danny breathed a sigh of relief as he heard the unmistakable sounds of HFD arriving on scene. He was more than ready to get out of there. He turned his head and regarded his partner, "Sounds like the cavalry's arrived. We'll get out of here soon."

"That's good," Steve nodded. "You're smiling again? Is it because we're going to get out of here, or is there something else you'd like to tell me?"

"I was just thinking," Danny told him as his smile widened, "of the other accident I had where I had to be extricated from my vehicle."

"Were you in a pursuit?"

"No," Danny chuckled and leaned his head back tiredly, looking over at his friend. He suppressed a groan at the pain the ill thought out chuckle had earned him.

"Well, what happened?" Steve was happy to keep the conversation rolling as he noted his injured partner was getting paler and a little listless though that could be because he was afraid to move and jostle his pinned shoulder.

"It was a couple weeks before I started as detective so I was still in uniform and on patrol. I was by myself because my partner was out sick, and I was only two blocks from the station when I hit the power pole. Damn pole came down on the car, and it was a live wire so I couldn't get out. Took out power for three blocks eventually- including the station - because it took out a transformer."

Steve found himself gaping at the mental picture of his younger partner taking out a power line and causing a blackout for part of the city. "Wait. How did you hit the power pole? What happened?"

"I, uh..." Danny grinned at the memory and took a concentrated breath to suppress a cough he could feel tickling his throat in the dusty air. "I swerved to avoid hitting a dog."

Steve found himself grinning along with Danny but didn't dare laugh as he wanted so he wouldn't jostle his broken ribs, "You swerved so you wouldn't hit a dog?"

"Yup," Danny nodded. "My sergeant was not amused. They didn't let me live it down. Ever. I hardly ever got to drive after that... kind of like now."

"So what happened to the dog?" Steve wondered, ignoring Danny's jibe about driving and trying not to grimace as he jostled his injured side. "Did you find its owner or take it home?"

"Stupid dog ran away," Danny told him. "That's why I got so much teasing, I think. I couldn't prove it was ever there and no one ever saw it again."

The two sat in companionable silence for several minutes before Steve broke the silence again, "I wonder what's taking them so long? You doing okay?"

Danny rolled his head to look at his partner again while keeping his head back on the headrest, "I'm tired. Wish they'd hurry up."

"Yeah," Steve tried not to wince but couldn't hide the worry in his eyes at Danny's admission of tiredness. "I'm sure it won't be much longer."

Before Danny could respond again, they heard a shout followed by a thump close behind them, probably in the bed of the pickup truck. However, as much as that was probably a good sign, it was negated by the fact that it caused the large, pointed timber to slide closer to Danny before either man could react. The point now rested a mere inch from Danny's throat.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thank you for all the great reviews. I'm woefully behind in acknowledging them, but please know that I have read and cherish every one. Several of you are asking if every chapter ends with a cliffhanger. Don't worry, I assure you that the final chapter does NOT end in a cliffhanger. Feel better now?

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After the ambulance carried away the truck driver, Robertson glanced around the accident scene once again. He absentmindedly kicked aside a small piece of debris and sighed. There was a lot of cleanup to do plus they'd have to call in some heavy equipment to not only cart away what the now damaged MACK truck had been hauling but also to clear away the tangle of vehicles and trailers that remained. Robertson's brow furrowed as he regarded the wreckage. Something seemed off all of a sudden. He picked his way carefully through the shattered glass and other objects still littering the roadway to something that had caught his eye. He stooped to examine it.

As Robertson crouched over the object, he realized it was the back fender of a vehicle. As his eyes followed along the length of it, he noticed the force of the crash had not only torn off the bumper but a piece of the vehicle as well. The jagged fragment of metal was dark blue. He didn't even look at the white pickup truck knowing the piece did not belong to that ill-fated vehicle. He glanced over at the MACK truck but knew the bumper wasn't quite sturdy enough to belong to the heavy work vehicle. Sure enough, the color of the fragment wasn't even close to the color of the work truck. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew the color seemed familiar, but he didn't dwell on it.

"Hey!" Robertson shouted at the other rescue workers, "I think we've got another vehicle over here."

Robertson quickly scrambled over some larger piles of concrete blocks and broken timbers like he was playing King of the Hill. As he reached the summit of the pile, he looked down and saw a dark blue pickup truck half buried in the rubble. His foot slipped as he started to descend sending a concrete block tumbling down the small hill and landing with a thump in the ruined truck bed.

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Danny stared cross-eyed at the piece of debris threatening to pierce his throat. It was so close he couldn't see the end of it and as he swallowed he expected to feel his Adam's apple scrape the end. He was relieved when it didn't, but the relief was short-lived as the throbbing in his shoulder picked up in intensity. He had been unable to keep from flinching when the timber slid towards him and he could feel his shoulder bleeding profusely from the fishing spear stubbornly keeping him in place.

"Danny?" Steve's worry level ratcheted up a notch when he noticed the pained look on his partner's face. "You okay?"

"Yeah, terrific," Danny replied absentmindedly.

Steve tried to think of something he might have missed that would enable them to get out of their predicament. He was starting to worry that rescue was taking too long. He could tell that Danny was fading fast, and he was afraid he couldn't help him. His head was pounding and his neck and shoulders were on fire. He knew there was little he could do to help his friend, and that was completely unacceptable to him. He just had to think harder.

"It happened in a blink," Danny's voice was barely above a whisper.

Steve stared at his partner for a moment as his rattled brain needed a little longer to process the quiet words and make sense of them. When he couldn't, his reply was a little less than brilliant, "Huh?"

Danny didn't open his eyes but did manage to quirk a small smile at the response, "It happened in a blink... Life, that is."

"What are you talking about, Danno?" Steve sounded slightly confused and slightly more worried at his choice of words, "And don't use past tense just yet, pal. We aren't that far gone."

Danny fluttered his left hand at his friend, "Semantics... Life happens in a blink, you know? I mean, it seems like just yesterday I was holding Grace in my arms for the first time. Next thing you know, I'm moving here just for the chance to see her every now and then, and I'm being shanghaied into this new outfit with a crazy partner."

"You know you love me," Steve grinned at him as Danny turned to face him.

Danny matched his grin and gave a curt nod which he cut short as he felt the tip of the timber tickle his throat, "I guess for you it really happens in a flash... a flash bang."

Steve's grin widened as he agreed, "Seems like it."

"I mean," Danny continued. "I look back at my life and wonder if it was all worth it. What have I really done with my life?"

"You can't be serious," Steve told him.

"Dead serious."

Steve's grin changed to a frown at Danny's word choice again, "Are you trying to say that you wish you wouldn't have moved here? That you regret the time that move has given you to spend with Grace?"

Danny shook his head and had to fight back the urge to close his eyes and go to sleep, "No. I just wonder if I've made a difference at all. That's all I've ever wanted to do, really. When I'm gone will Grace think I did enough for her or spend enough time with her? Or will she just remember the times I had to cut our time short to go to work?"

"Grace will be old and gray before she has to worry about you being gone, Danno. You're too stubborn to die, and I'm certainly not going to let that happen today so quit thinking like that."

"Sorry," Danny mumbled as his eyes closed and his head bobbed as he tried not to lose consciousness his eyes jerked open at the feel of the rough wood touching his skin as his head fell forward. "I just... I just can't die like this, Steve. I have to get out of here."

Steve quickly reached across the seat to take hold of Danny's arm and give him a reassuring squeeze to calm him down, "Hey, take it easy, Danny. Just take nice, calm breaths, okay?"

Danny concentrated on his breathing as Steve suggested and focused on his friend's voice and unyielding hand on his arm. Danny appreciated the contact and support. The sudden feeling of entrapment, while still very evident, was lessening as he forced himself to calm down. He would not die this way and needed to shift his thinking back to more positive thoughts.

"Think of somewhere or something peaceful," Steve suggested. "Picture it in your mind and let yourself go there. It'll help take your mind off the pain. I've done it before, trust me."

Danny continued to breathe and vowed never to tell his partner that the first place that came to mind was the beach at Steve's place. Specifically sitting in the chairs at the water's edge. From the first day they met and shared a beer at those very chairs, Danny had found that he could be very relaxed there. He half smiled as he thought of the phone call he received telling him about the judge's ruling of shared custody of Grace. He had been at that very spot when he got the best news in a long time.

"Okay?" Steve inquired as he felt his friend start to breathe easier and the slight trembles faded away.

Danny nodded and opened his eyes to look over at his partner, "Thanks, brother."

Steve squeezed his arm again but didn't remove his hand just yet, "Any time. I'm sure they're working on getting us out of here."

"I hope so. I'm not feeling very good," Danny smiled.

Steve chuckled which turned into a moan as his broken ribs protested, "You and me both, bud. You and me both."

Silence enveloped the truck as the two listened to the distant sound of what they hoped was imminent rescue. After several minutes, Danny shook his head, squeezed his eyes closed and moaned, "Steeeeeve..."

"Hang on, Danny," Steve encouraged him and once again frantically tried to free himself from the seat belt. "What's wrong?"

Danny shook his head again and blinked furiously, "I dunno... not feeling so hot... think I'm gonna pass out..."

Steve watched as his friend's head bobbed as he tried to remain conscious, each bob coming closer and closer to the sharp point at his throat. He knew that if Danny lost consciousness and couldn't support his head any longer, the timber would certainly pierce his throat. "Hang on, Danny. I'll get you outta here somehow."

Danny nodded, but couldn't form any words in his too-dry mouth. He felt his head bobbing up and down but felt like there wasn't anything he could do to stop it. He looked over at Steve and tried again to talk and couldn't. As his vision grayed he hoped that Steve heard his silent plea to tell Grace that her Danno loved her. His eyes rolled back and he lost his fight to stay conscious as his head sagged forward.

Steve heard Danny tell him to look after Grace and tell her Danno loved her though no words were spoken. As Danny's eyes rolled back in his head, Steve shot his right arm out and caught his partner's head just as it sagged forward and reached the sharpened point.


	5. Chapter 5

Officer Robertson studied the small pile of debris he was standing on and tried to figure out the best way down. The pile consisted mostly of concrete blocks, but there were shards of glass, broken pieces of rebar and other assorted sharp and generally nasty things poking through the rubble. One misstep and he would need rescue and an ambulance himself.

Robertson was about to take his first very carefully placed step when he heard hoarse yelling from the truck. His first step became his only step as his foot slipped and he rode the landslide of debris down to the partially buried bed of the truck. As he righted himself against the ruined tailgate, he cautiously checked himself over for any injuries. Thankfully, he was still wearing his HPD rain coat which had kept him dry earlier from the storms moving through. The coat was now torn in several places, but it had protected him from the sharp pieces and he himself was unscathed from the unplanned descent. He tossed the rain coat aside and carefully hopped into the bed of the ruined pickup truck.

"Hey," the hoarse voice shouted again. "Can anyone hear me? I need some help in here."

"I'm coming," Robertson yelled back as he picked his way through more concrete blocks, rebar and lumber materials. In the back of his mind he thought the hoarse voice sounded sort of familiar.

"C'mon," the voice was quieter this time and Robertson wasn't even sure if the person was actually talking to him or just talking to himself out loud.

Robertson made it to the back of the extended cab on the truck, but couldn't do more than lean his head inside a little as it, too, was filled with debris. "Hey, buddy, you okay?"

"Al?"

With that one simple question, all of the wayward pieces in Robertson's subconscious slammed into place. Now he knew why the truck as well as the voice seemed familiar, "Commander McGarrett?"

Steve sighed, "Danny needs help. Can you get in here and give me a hand?"

Robertson looked around and though Steve couldn't see him, shook his head, "There's too much debris in the way. You're really buried in here; that's why we didn't see you until just a little bit ago. Sorry it took me so long to realize it. I should have done a better job of assessing the scene."

"Not your fault and nothing we can do about that, but we really need to get Danny out of here. He passed out just a little bit ago, but I have to hold his head up or there's this piece of wood that's going to impale him in the throat." Steve gritted his teeth and took a breath, "But I'm not sure how long I can keep this up. I think I have some broken ribs, and it's hard for me to hold his head up very well."

"Okay, hang on," Robertson reached for the radio on his shoulder, relieved it hadn't been damaged in his slide, and quickly summoned help. "HFD is here and they should be able to figure out a way to get you guys out of there. You okay until then? I might be able to squeeze in back here if I move some of this stuff."

"No, it's okay," Steve assured him. "The wood is really unstable, and it's already slid around a lot. I don't want to risk it moving any more. Just make sure HFD knows that, would ya?"

Robertson quickly filled in the HFD and HPD officers who responded to his summons for help and watched as they scurried for equipment. He looked back towards the truck where he could barely make out the top of Steve's head and heard him quietly muttering reassurances to his partner.

Steve gritted his teeth against the pain in his ribs and neck as he continued to hold Danny's head up. He heard Robertson calling for help and giving instructions as HPD and HFD responded to his call for assistance. The pain in his neck was becoming unbearable, and he wasn't sure how long he could keep this up. Just as soon as he thought that, he shook his head, "Don't worry, Danny. I've gotcha."

Steve thought maybe it was time to take his own advice and take his mind off his injuries and their predicament. The first peaceful place he thought of was the beach at his house. Growing up he had always enjoyed being able to swim whenever he wanted, but it wasn't until he came home after his father's murder that he had found some measure of peace while sitting in the beach chairs at the water's edge. He smiled at his unconscious partner as he realized that their first civil conversation had taken place at those chairs. They'd shared a lot of good moments there over the past few years. He remembered Danny's expression as he shared the good news from his lawyer about Grace's custody. Steve had been thrilled for his partner and more than a little relieved that it meant his friend would be staying in Hawaii.

Steve heard more than saw the rescuers arrive. Every now and then he'd see a flash of turnout coat outside the truck as firemen studied the wreckage to decide the best course of action. More often he heard a muttered curse as someone slipped on the unstable debris. He caught snatches of conversation as they studied the pileup, but most of his focus remained on Danny and making sure he didn't let his partner down.

It was several more minutes before Steve heard noise in the back of the truck again and trying not to turn his head more than necessary, tried to get a look at what was going on.

"Steve?" Robertson leaned into the extended cab as best he could. "How're you two doing in there?"

Steve had to clear his throat before answering, "I think Danny would call this just another day in paradise, but the scenery is getting a little old so I think we're ready to get out any time."

"We're working on that," Robertson assured him. "I think HFD has figured out the best way to get you out of there. How's that timber that's threatening Danny? I told them to tread carefully."

"Thanks," Steve sighed. "So far it hasn't moved again.

"Okay, good," Robertson nodded. "They think they know how they're going to take care of it, and then they'll get you out."

"Tell them they need to get Danny first," Steve's tone was insistent.

Robertson made a noncommittal sound as he'd heard the firemen saying they'd have to get in through the driver's side which would mean Steve would have to be extricated first. He, however, was not going to be the one to tell Steve.


	6. Chapter 6

Captain Hailama, HFD, cautiously studied the accident scene and newly discovered third vehicle. The young HPD officer had hastily explained that the two leaders of Five-0 were trapped inside. He shook his head at the damage and marveled that they had survived the crash unlike the driver of the other pickup. He did not dwell on the fact that if they had been in any other vehicle, their survival would not be as likely. Judging by the surrounding unstable debris, removal would be tricky, but his crew was the best and they would give their all to get them out safely.

Now that they had the plan of attack laid out, he directed his men to proceed with the rescue operation. He watched as half of the crew carefully started to remove the large timber that was endangering Detective Williams. He could barely see fireman/EMT Jones who had squeezed herself in through the back windshield and was carefully assessing the two men and their conditions. From what the officer had told him, Commander McGarrett was conscious and at least partially mobile so extricating him and taking him out to one of the waiting ambulances shouldn't be a problem. However as soon as he had that thought, Hailama thought about what he'd heard of the two task force leaders, and he wondered if they were going to have a problem getting McGarrett to leave his partner behind.

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Steve jerked as if touched by a live wire as he realized his own head was starting to bob with fatigue. He looked guiltily at his partner, thankful to note that he had not let his friend's head slouch forward any farther. He tried not to startle a second time as he heard movement behind them again.

"Commander McGarrett?" A new voice greeted him. "I'm Fireman/EMT Jones, and I'm going to get started on getting you guys out of here while my friends out there are securing things on the outside."

"Wait! Don't come in here!" Steve commanded. "You can't come in until after they've moved that timber. We can't risk it sliding forward anymore."

"Easy, Commander," Jones tried to reassure him. "They have the timber secured; it's not going anywhere."

"I'm not sure I'm willing to believe that until it's out of here," Steve told her. "No offense, but it's my partner's life we're talking about here."

"I get that, Commander," She continued to reassure him. "But I also need to assess his condition as well as yours so we can get started on treatment as soon as possible... Besides, I'm already in."

Steve was surprised to see that she was correct. He hadn't heard or felt her make the transition from the bed of the pickup to the back seat behind them, but he could now see her hands as she reached around to take Danny's pulse. "Okay, so now what?"

"So, now," she told him as she began to palpate Danny's neck to check for injuries, "I have you help your partner for just a little bit longer while I get a neck brace on him."

"A neck brace!" Steve interrupted. "What's wrong? He didn't say anything about his neck."

"Don't worry, Commander," she carefully brought her equipment through the broken back window so it was accessible to her. "It's just a precaution. He's been in a fairly serious car crash if you hadn't noticed."

"Yeah," Steve dead-panned, "I noticed."

"Then," Jones smiled as she responded. "I'm going to get one on you as well for the same reason but also because I can tell your neck hurts. Mind telling me what else hurts?"

"I'm fine," Steve told her. "Just take care of Danny."

Jones shook her head, not surprised at the answer, "Okay, Commander, I have the neck brace on. Go ahead and slowly put your arm down."

Steve slowly let go of Danny's head and sighed when he saw that the neck brace was doing its job and Jones had managed to settle his head back on the head rest and farther from the timber. As he brought his arm down, Steve gritted his teeth as pain flared in his side and fingers he hadn't realized had done numb began to tingle. He saw dark spots as his neck joined the chorus of pain, and it was all he could do not to moan.

"Okay, let me see what I can do for you now."

Steve hadn't realized Jones had shifted positions and was now gently manipulating his own neck into a brace. He tried to glance sideways to make sure Danny was still okay with no one holding him up. Before he knew it, he was also sporting a neck brace which he realized made the pain in his neck more bearable.

"Okay, Commander, we're going to bring in a covering and see if we can't protect you guys a bit more as my crew removes that timber."

"What about that spear in Danny's shoulder?"

"I've alerted the others about it, but we'll have to work around it for now. Don't worry; I'm going to make sure it doesn't get jostled. I'm going to secure it as best I can so we don't cause any more harm to his shoulder. Trust us, Commander."

"I'm trying," Steve told her. "I just want to get my partner out of here and get him taken care of."

"I get that... we all do. It won't be much longer and you'll both be on your way to the hospital, and they'll get you all fixed up good as new."

"Okay, let's get this done."

Several minutes later, Danny and Steve were all but covered with a heavy tarp to protect them from any flying glass as the timber was moved. Robertson had managed to fold himself into the backseat of the truck as well to help Jones hold the tarp over their heads. Robertson ducked his head underneath the tarp as best he could as the firemen outside began to slide the timber back through the ruined windshield.

Practically blind beneath the tarp and unable to move his head with the neck brace on, Steve tried to get a glimpse of his partner to make sure Danny was still not aware of what was going on. He was grateful that his claustrophobic friend wasn't awake underneath the thick, enclosing tarp. He reached across and put a soothing hand on his arm anyway. The noise of removing the timber finally stopped, but the tarp still was not removed. Steve was starting to understand the claustrophobic closed in feeling and wondered what was going on, but before he could ask, he heard what sounded like a chainsaw to his left and realized he was hearing the Jaws of Life being used to take off his door to extricate them. It took several more minutes of work before the noise stopped and the tarp was finally eased off them.

"Commander McGarrett," a calm voice greeted him when he could finally see again. "I'm Captain Hailama. We're going to get you out of here and over to the ambulance."

Steve couldn't shake his head, but his voice was adamant, "Get Danny out first."

"Sorry, Commander," the captain shook his head. "Your side is the easiest to extricate from."

"Then I'm staying," Steve insisted. "I won't leave him alone."

"He's hardly alone," Hailama noted. "I'm sorry, Commander. We need the room to work so you're going to have to be extricated first. There's an ambulance standing by to take you to Queens."

Steve hated to leave his friend, but knew that what the captain said made sense.

"Fine... Al, you still back there?"

"Right here," Robertson responded behind him.

"Stay with Danny, would you? If he wakes up, I want someone he knows here. He's a bit claustrophobic so he might need help calming down. Remind him what I told him earlier, if that happens. And if anyone tells him that I said he was claustrophobic, I will shoot them, you got that?"

"Got it," Robertson nodded though Steve couldn't see him.

"Okay, Commander," Hailama put a hand on his shoulder. "My guys and I are going to slide you out of here. You're going to let us do the work, okay?"

Steve felt the seat belt suddenly loosen as one of the firemen sliced the restraining device. Before he knew it, he was being expertly slid out and carried away from the wreckage. He barely had time to get one last glimpse of Danny's blood streaked face so he wasn't sure if he imagined Danny's eyes fluttering or not.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: I have to be in meetings all day for work so I assume you don't mind an early posting today. I will try to catch up on replying to reviews this evening. Thank you all for your terrific thoughts on this story.

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Robertson nodded as Steve instructed him to stay with Danny. He was planning on it anyway, but felt honored that the Five-0 commander wanted him there. He looked at the spear jutting out of Danny's shoulder and winced in sympathy. He rather hoped that Danny would stay unconscious as they extricated him because he didn't imagine that would feel very good. Robertson smiled as he thought of how tough the Jersey detective was and figured if anyone could do it he could, and he'd probably do it with a smile and a sarcastic remark.

Robertson watched as Steve was carried away and once Firefighter/EMT Jones gracefully slid over into the newly vacated driver's seat, he shifted over to be closer to Danny should his assistance be needed. He reached a hand over the seat to grab hold of Danny's left shoulder so the man would know someone was there should he regain consciousness.

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Steve hated that he needed to be carried out of the wreckage, but he wasn't given a choice and, though he would deny it if asked, he wasn't sure he would have been able to walk. The four firemen, two to carry and two to guide and steady them on the rubble, took him as quickly as they could to the waiting ambulance.

"There you go, sir," one of the firemen patted him gently on the shoulder. "The EMTs will take good care of you."

"Thank you," Steve nodded as best he could with the neck brace on. He watched as they hustled back to his truck to help free Danny. He was grateful for their obvious desire to get back and help.

"Sir, I need to get a few vitals before we load you up and get you to the hospital," the fresh faced EMT informed him as he fastened the blood pressure cuff around his upper arm.

"No," Steve almost panicked. "I'm not going anywhere until my partner is out of there."

"But, sir..."

"Everything okay?" Duke had been headed over to the ambulance as soon as he saw the firemen place Steve on the gurney. He could see Steve's agitation at twenty paces.

"Duke," Steve was relieved as he recognized the voice and finally saw the familiar HPD sergeant come into view. He hated the neck brace and how it limited being able to see his surroundings. "Tell this guy that I'm not going anywhere until they bring out Danny."

"He needs to be treated, sir," the EMT chose to plead his case to Duke now.

"Are his injuries life threatening?" Duke wondered.

The EMT glanced at his seated would-be patient and back to the sergeant, "I don't think so, but I haven't examined him yet."

"Examine him..." Duke held up a hand to forestall Steve's coming protest, "and if his injuries are not life threatening, then I would suggest doing what you can here and notifying the hospital that you'll be bringing in both patients at once. Fair enough, Steve?"

"I'm fine. Just do what you need to do because I'm not leaving until they bring out Danny." Steve told them which might have been more convincing if he didn't have an arm curled around his midsection cradling his broken ribs.

The EMT started to protest that he wasn't really agreeing to anything but held off when Duke shook his head in amusement, "That's as close to an agreement as you're going to get, Hernandez."

The EMT sighed and started to examine the fidgety man. He shook his head after recording the blood pressure readings and thought about demanding immediate departure for the hospital just on those findings alone, but he took in the determined set of the jaw and worried look in the eye and decided he'd surely lose that fight. He cautiously grabbed the man's wrist for a pulse.

Steve studied the pile of debris and realized why it had taken them so long to be spotted. He could see nothing of his truck or the many firemen working to free Danny. It was quite the sight, one he hoped never to see, or experience, again. He jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. EMT Hernandez was still next to him so he didn't know who the new person was, and he couldn't turn to see who it was.

"Sorry, Commander," a new EMT apologized as he moved into Steve's line of sight. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"I'm Hernandez's partner and trainer," the man explained.

"Trainer?" Steve quirked an eyebrow.

"He's been on the job just a few weeks now, but he's coming along nicely," the older man's eyes crinkled as he smiled at his trainee to reassure him.

Steve glanced at the man's name badge, "Thanks, Mossman."

"I was wondering if you could tell me what you know of your partner's injuries." He flicked a hand in the direction of the other waiting ambulance. "The other crew wants to know, but they...uh... well, they don't want to come ask you."

Steve smiled, "They don't, huh?"

"No," Mossman laughed. "I think they've heard a few too many stories about you and your team. They seem to be under the impression that you will shoot them if you don't like their questions or treatment of your partner."

"I won't shoot them," Steve looked him in the eyes, dead serious. "I don't have my gun."

Mossman paused for a moment and his smile faltered, "Anyway, could you give me a rundown of what you think your partner's injuries are?"

"I'm not really sure. He said he hurt all over, of course," Steve sighed tiredly. He could feel the adrenaline fading though he wanted to hang on to that adrenaline high until he knew Danny was out and on his way to the hospital with him.

"Car crashes will do that to you, I hear," Mossman responded dryly.

Steve decided he liked the man more and more with each passing second. "He didn't really mention anything else... well, except the spear, but he didn't need to mention that."

"Spear?"

"Yeah, the fishing spear that is sticking through his right shoulder and pinning him to the seat."

"Fishing spear?" Mossman wasn't sure if he'd heard correctly or if the bump on Steve's head was more serious than they thought. "Why would there be a fishing spear in a load of construction debris?"

Steve snorted, "That's the question of the day, I guess. If you ask Danny it's because this island is trying to kill him. After today, I'm not sure I'm going to argue that with him."

"We'd heard he was pinned, but no one said he was literally pinned to the seat. No wonder they looked worried... oh, sorry, Commander. I'm sure they'll get him out just fine."

"Yeah, they will," Steve agreed quietly. "He'll be fine. He's the toughest guy I've ever met."

"I thought you were a SEAL?"

Steve nodded, "Yup, but Danny's the toughest... just don't tell him I said that. I'll never live it down. He's also the loudest I've ever met."

"Understood, Commander."

Steve continued to watch the corner of the debris pile where he'd lost sight of the firemen earlier. He leaned back on the propped up gurney, arm still wrapped around his midsection, and tried to control the urge to jump down and go see what was taking so long. He no longer noticed his pounding head or the myriad of other bumps, bruises and aches as he worried about his friend.


	8. Chapter 8

In his dream, Danny was back on his high school baseball field. He was playing first base, and his coach thought the other team was going to bunt. Danny thought there was no way the other team was bunting with two outs and the bases loaded. Even down by two runs, to try a suicide squeeze with two outs in the ninth inning was indeed suicide, he thought. But Danny's coach insisted so he found himself rushing towards home as the pitch was delivered. Danny was right, and the batter swung away, breaking his bat on contact. In his dream, Danny screamed as the splintered end of the bat flew at him and embedded itself in his right shoulder.

In reality, Danny awoke suddenly with the scream dying on his lips. It almost escaped again though as he realized his shoulder was in agony and worst of all he was in darkness and felt enclosed. He felt himself start to hyperventilate when he felt a hand squeeze his shoulder. He managed to whisper hoarsely, "Steve?"

"No, it's Robertson."

"Gup Gup?"

Robertson smiled at the nickname Danny had saddled him with, "Yeah."

"Where's Steve? What's going on?" Danny had to concentrate on pushing down the panic and claustrophobia. He struggled to see what was going on beyond whatever it was obstructing his vision. He felt hands holding him in place which, combined with the dark, close feeling, didn't make his panicked feeling any better.

Robertson struggled to keep Danny still and glanced at Jones, eyes warning her to have the others back off, "Danny, it's okay. Stop struggling or you'll make your shoulder worse. They're trying to get you out of here, but you have to stop moving."

Danny nodded, panic creeping in around the edges again when he felt his head brush something over and around him, "What happened? Why can't I see what's going on? Did we get buried more?"

"Easy, Danny," Robertson urged him, wishing Steve was here to calm the man. "You're covered with a tarp so they can work. The firemen thought it best to keep you from getting injured any further and they didn't think you'd want to see what was going on."

"Well, they're wrong," Danny sounded calmer though Steve would be able to hear the slight tremor in his voice were he here. "Take the tarp off. I'd rather see what's going on than not."

Robertson quickly convinced the others to remove the tarp and helped Jones stuff it off to the side out of the way. He leaned as far over the seat as he could so Danny could see him, "Better?"

"Yeah," Danny nodded, sighing in relief once the tarp was clear. "Thanks, Al."

"Detective Williams, I'm Firefighter/EMT Jones. Can you tell me what hurts?"

Danny blinked at her for a moment and somewhat owlishly said, "Let me think about that for a moment... everything."

She smiled, "Okay, then how about what hurts the most."

"Ummm, that would be the fishing spear sticking out of my shoulder which you people seem to be twisting around for your own enjoyment," he glared at the firemen, none of whom were currently touching the spear.

"Sorry, Detective," Jones apologized. "I'm sure it hurts, but we're trying to stabilize it so we can get you out of here. I might be able to give you a little something for the pain, but I don't really want to do that right now since we're not sure the extent of all your injuries."

"Can we just get a move on the whole getting out of here bit?" Danny ground out as the pain spiked in his shoulder as soon as one of the fireman touched the spear again.

"Of course,"Jones smiled. She glanced over at Robertson and whispered, "Is he always this grumpy?"

"He can still hear you even when you whisper," Danny noted, eyes closed. "You're like six inches away and there's nothing wrong with my hearing."

Robertson grinned at her while Jones had the good graces to look a little sheepish, "Sorry."

"Seriously," Danny opened his eyes, blinking several times to steady his vision. "How long until you can get me out of here? I'm usually not that keen on going to the hospital, but right now it's sounding like a really good idea."

"Sir," Captain Hailama peered at him through the broken windshield. "It won't take too much longer now. We need to cut the spear handle down here," he pointed to a spot a few inches from Danny's shoulder, "and pack the wound for transport. What we aren't sure of is how much of it is in your shoulder and how much is in the seat."

Danny looked at him tiredly, "Okay, and how are we going to figure that out, or are you going to take me seat and all because I'm not really sure that's going to work."

"I'm afraid we aren't going to know until we get you out of here. I'm the one responsible for your rude awakening. I had my men checking the seat to see if they could find the tip of the spear, but without cutting into the back of your seat and possibly injuring you further, we won't know until we try to move you."

Danny nodded, "So no easy way out. Got it. Let's get on with it, Captain. Did you get my crazy partner out of here and to the hospital? Is he okay?"

Hailama smiled, "As I understand it, your crazy partner refused to be transported once extricated, and he's driving the EMT's out there nuts until we get you out."

"Neanderthal," Danny smiled. "Then let's get moving here before my partner blows something up."

Robertson was tasked with holding Danny's shoulders still while the firemen cut the handle of the fishing spear. Danny refused to look away while they worked so he could brace himself. There was no way the firemen could make it a totally painless experience so they concentrated on working quickly and efficiently. Before he knew it, Hailama was instructing his men to have a backboard ready and they were gently easing him forward and checking on the exit point of the spear. Thankfully, it was only buried a few inches into the seat so they were able to move him easier than they had feared.

Danny blinked away graying vision and the spots that danced before his eyes as he was eased onto the backboard. He winced as the straps were tightened to keep him in place on his side. With the neck brace on it wasn't very comfortable to be on his side, but he knew it beat lying on his back with part of the fishing spear still in his shoulder. One of the firemen removed his jacket and tucked it under his head to help ease the awkwardness. Danny smiled at him tiredly in thanks. As they eased him out of the truck and started to carry him over the piles of debris, he decided he didn't need to see what was going on now as it was making him dizzy. He closed his eyes and concentrated on staying conscious just a little while longer.

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Sergeant Duke Lukela had a restraining hand on EMT Hernandez's arm as they watched from a short distance away as Steve fidgeted on the gurney. He'd finally allowed the EMTs to put in an IV as even Duke was threatening to send him to the hospital as time stretched on waiting for Danny to appear. Hernandez tried not to jerk his arm away as he turned to Duke, "He really does need more medical treatment."

"I know," Duke agreed. "But so long as he's conscious, he's going to fight you on it. Let's give them five more minutes, and then I'll convince him it's time to go."

Steve sat rigid on the gurney, grateful that they had it propped up and weren't forcing him to lie down. He was restless and wanted to pace, but since allowing them to put in the IV, he was forced to sit and wait. He was seconds away from pulling out the IV when he saw a fireman appear from the far side of the accident scene. He was soon followed by more firemen carrying equipment.

Duke's first hint that something was happening was when he saw Steve stiffen and lean slightly forward as if trying to get closer. As he got to Steve's side, he saw the firemen appear from the pile of rubble blocking their view of Steve's vehicle. It took a moment, but he finally breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the backboard being carried their way; he could just make out the familiar dusty blonde head.

Steve leaned forward and was about to jump off the gurney when he felt Duke's hand on his arm. Without a word, he knew Duke was telling him to stay there and wait, but it seemed to take forever for the small knot of firemen to make their way over. Finally, Captain Hailama was in front of him grinning, "Commander, I heard you might blow something up if we didn't get your partner out here so we tried to hurry."

Steve quirked a half smile as the HFD captain clapped him gently on the back, "Thanks, Captain." He strained to see around the other firemen and was finally rewarded as they brought the backboard next to him. "Danny?"

Danny managed to pry his eyes open and looked up to find his partner worriedly checking him over. He flopped his left hand out and grasped Steve's outstretched hand in his own. He licked dry lips and managed to whisper, "Hey, buddy, you shouldn't have waited."

Steve squeezed his hand, "I had to make sure they got you out okay. You had me worried; it was taking so long."

"Not too long," Danny squeezed his hand back and smiled. "Nah, not too long in the grand scheme of things. After all, life happens in a blink, partner."

Steve grinned, "That it does, buddy. That it does."

Robertson watched as the two Five-0 leaders and friends were finally loaded onto ambulances and were on their way to the hospital. He sighed in relief that they were going to be okay. His smile faded as he turned around and regarded the accident scene. He realized he was no closer to being done with it than he was two hours ago. He sighed and went back to work. He really hated working traffic scenes and smiled ruefully to himself. He would never again wish a traffic scene on Five-0 if this is how they handled them.

Finis

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A/N: Thank you to all who read, reviewed and alerted. I'm glad this little story was so well received. I know I'm going to get complaints about no hospital/recovery scenes, but it felt better to end it here and not drag it on after all this tension that all you readers have told me you have a love/hate relationship with! ;-)

Thanks again to Fifilla for all the suggestions, conversations, and nagging regarding this story. And, yes, I promise I'm off to work on my next story now.


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